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As the New York state budget was being adopted by the Legislature this weekend, some legislators objected to a $3 million appropriation for an upstate luxury golf tournament deemed to be an economic development initiative.

While upcoming corruption trials may provide a revealing behind the scenes look at state operations, they should not distract from the pressing need to reform the state's approach to economic development in this legislative session.

How are the state's regional economies performing? Our interactive map and charts features employment and wage data from 2010 to 2015, the most recent year for which annual county-level employment figures are available.

New York State's economic development programs have long been the subject of debate because it is difficult to measure the benefits they produce. Are the State's considerable investments worthwhile? Although their political value is clear, their economic value is not.

The start of the new administration offers an important opportunity to review the city's economic development practices and assure that they foster growth by making business incentives more cost-effective and transparent.

CBC's Director of New York City Studies Maria Doulis pens an op-ed in the New York Times' Room for Debate on how the next mayor can achieve important economic development goals: more jobs, a more diversified industry mix, a larger middle class and enhanced entrepreneurship.

A study released earlier this month by The Economist Intelligence Unit held good news for New York City, which ranked first among 120 global cities based on ability to attract capital, businesses and talent. But the competition is fierce, and is not limited to international megacities like London, Singapore, Hong Kong, and Tokyo.

Human capital is a hot topic. Thriving in the information economy requires a highly skilled workforce with specialized expertise and an ability to innovate. Attracting such a workforce is essential to New York's ability to retain strength in core industries and cultivate emerging ones.

Governor Andrew Cuomo and the New York State Legislature have successfully tackled serious budget issues in recent years, but important challenges remain. These must be addressed in his next budget in order to improve the state's fiscal condition and give local governments better tools to manage their structural deficits.

New York City generates more than 25 tons of garbage per minute. That's 14 million tons per year, and the city's Department of Sanitation spends $2 billion annually to collect and dispose of about a third of it.

CBC Vice President and Director of State Studies Elizabeth Lynam pens an op-ed listing four principles to govern the operation of the new regional economic development councils. These principles will help the state face the sizable challenges ahead and avoid the mistakes made in past economic development efforts.

Deputy Research Director Elizabeth Lynam penned an op-ed in the Albany Times Union that advocates for the overhaul of the State's economic development programs in order to capture true job creation with scarce resources.

CBC President Carol Kellermann discusses Governor David Paterson's offer of a menu of more than $1 billion in savings proposals from which he challenged legislators to select $600 million worth when they convened in Albany for a special session.

This op-ed states that if State leaders want to avoid tax increases in what is already one of the most heavily taxed states in the nation, they will need to find savings of about $6 billion to $7 billion per year over the next three years.